Triad: Summoning
by Mirai Gensao
Summary: Everyone has always known Tenchi has a very important destiny but they've got other things to worry about. Now with the arrival of some new guests, they're about to find out just how important it is.


Disclaimer: These are so pointless. It's called fanfiction for a reason, folks. I don't own the series nor do I claim to. I do, however, own the plot and my original characters.   
  
Author's Note: This is just a repost of a story no one read, but I've improved it a lot since then. My friends all thought it was pretty good, so maybe someone out there will find it entertaining also. It is part of Tenshi/Dragonball Z trilogy I am working on. The prologue is called "Triad: Awakening", and it is in the misc. anime section. The DBZ one is up as well. The third I am working on right now. Enjoy.

A long, long time ago, the universe was faced with the greatest crisis ever. A trio of evil was wreaking destruction and no one could stop it. No one, that is, except for two young men. Each had special powers given to them by the Goddesses who oversaw a different plane of reality. A war was taking place between everyone. No one trusted opposing races, and the two young men were not allowed to make contact with each other at all. Eventually they were able to get away. They went to destroy the trio, but unfortunately, they were not powerful enough. In the final battle between them and the trio, they lost their lives. 

After seeing this, the Goddesses knew that there was only one thing they could do. One would have to give up her powers in an attempt to seal the trio up in darkness forever. It was a hard decision, but one finally agreed to make the sacrifice. The trio was lured to them, and in a great battle between the deities representing good and evil, the trio was sealed up in darkness. The goddess lost her powers, and the war was finally over. The news of the loss of the young men's lives spread quickly, and the entire universe mourned. Even those who had never met them felt the loss. The families went on and lived the rest of their lives in peace, never knowing what truly happened to the evil beings.   

Some time later, the Galaxy Police had picked up a disturbance. They sent it to the Royal Family of Jurai, who kept it secret. The men and the trio by now had become a mere legend. It wasn't a widely known tale, but the Royal Family did not want to risk the leak of information for it might cause widespread panic. Then the unimaginable happened. The Triad was released. No one knows how or by whom, but the damage had been done. There was no one who could beat them…that's what they thought. But the two had been reborn. They have no memories of their former lives, and they are unaware of each other. But the time has come…their powers will be needed again. Only this time no goddess can help. It is up to them and them alone. And with that being said, let's begin…

Far off in a distant part of the universe, an unimaginable power gets stronger everyday. The planning has begun, and in no time at all, the universe will once again be in the grips of the greatest crisis ever to grace the cosmos. 

A man about the physical age of twenty-five sits in a dark room whose only source of light is the small lamp in the far off corner. He sits there, apparently contemplating something important. Behind him, the door opens and in steps another man about the same age. His dark eyes scan the room for the light switch. Once his hand comes across it on the wall, he flips it on, startling the other occupant. The shadows disappear as the light returns to the small room. He stands up and looks at the intruder.

"What is it, Ameshi?"

"Well, sir, I'm done with my mission. I returned a few minutes ago."

"Good. How did it go?" He pulls out his chair and sits at his desk.

"Very well," Ameshi says as he walks over to stand in front of him, looking somewhat distraught. "I have the report ready, if you want-"

"No, it's all right for now. What's bothering you?" Tomosuki asks as he notices the troubled look on his face.

"Nothing," he replies as he snaps back into reality. "Is that all you need me for?"

"No, I have something else for you to do." He picks up his cup and takes a drink before setting it back down.

"What would that be?" Ameshi asks, befuddled. 

"I need you and Keriko to go to Earth right away. Tomorrow would be best. It is crucial you do this."

"Why?"

"Don't question me. Just do it." He looks at Tomosuki in confusion but agrees nonetheless. 

"I will brief you two before you leave. I'll let you know when I need to see you again."

"Yes, sir." He bows and then turns to walk out the door. It opens automatically, but before he can walk out, Tomosuki calls his name. He turns back around to face him. "Yes?"

"Have fun. This is the last peaceful time you will have with them." He stares at Tomosuki for a second, then turns around to finally walk out.

Somewhere else, a manhunt is on for a most wanted Class A Type criminal. The best of the best have been assigned to this undercover operation, and so far, things are favoring the criminal mastermind. 

'Where the hell did he go? Damn it, I can't believe I lost him.' The leader of the undercover operation is tracking him alone now. He made a fatal mistake and let his identity be revealed. This tragic accident caused him the death of his partner, and that thought brings too much guilt to deal with right now. 'Don't think about that right now. I have to find him.' His brown eyes scan the warehouse for any sign of the man he is tracking. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an explosive comes flying in his direction. 

Cursing out loud, he jumps over the line of crates and rolls behind more boxes. It explodes, rocking the entire place. He peeks out from behind it and is still not able to see anyone. He growls in frustration. 

"Looking for me?" Abruptly, he spins around to face the source of the startling voice and his foe. 

"You…" he mutters, trying his hardest to control the emotions that are welling up within him. 

"What about me?"

"You killed him…you killed Shiro." Not really caring, the man lets a small grin spread across his face. 

"He was useless. The only reason he was even allowed to join the search was because of your confidence in him. Too bad it was misplaced." Akira stands up to face his enemy.

"How could you do that? With everything we went through together back at the Academy."

"You and I were friends, not he and I. But that was so long ago, anyway. It doesn't matter now."

"What happened to you, Nusake?"

"I guess you could say I had an epiphany."

"Epiphany? That's what you call dropping out and becoming one of the most wanted felons in the history of the universe?" he asks, in another attempt to understand his former friend's actions once more. Not once in the last three years has he ever been able to figure out why Nusake had done what he has done.   

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds bad."

"Why did you kill him?" Nusake suddenly loses his joking mood and becomes rather somber. 

"I actually didn't mean to. Believe it or not, I've never even killed anyone. That wasn't supposed to happen, and I did not get any pleasure out of the experience, if you want to know the truth."

"I have to take you in now, Nusake. My career is on the line here, so do this for me. For old time's sake."

"Old times." He sighs at the memories, looking almost content. "We had some fun, didn't we?" He asks, sounding like his mind is far away. 

"I guess so." A second later, he snaps back into reality. 

"But I'm sorry, Akira. I can't do that for you because my career isn't over yet."

"Have it your way." He gets into position and kicks Nusake in the face. He stumbles back, and Akira punches him a few times. Nusake tries to counter attack, but his fist is caught with ease. Akira grins.

"I was always better than you at this, you know." He twists Nusake's arm around, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Ow, ow, ow...Let me go, let me go."

"Sorry, buddy. You're mine." He hits the back of his neck, knocking him out cold. Nusake falls to the floor, and Akira waits for a moment to make sure he really is unconscious. 

When he believes it's safe, he pulls out the proper restraints and proceeds to take Nusake into custody. After this, he calls for back up and sits down to think about the day's events before his superiors have a chance to debrief him. 'I lost another partner…what happened to me…? I was headed to the top until…'

Before he can finish his train of thought, a group of GP officers come running in to assist him. 

Legend of the Triad: The Summoning 

About a week after the above-described events, the Masaki family is enjoying a peaceful and beautiful day. It's the middle of spring in Okayama, and the Tenchi gang is enjoying it to its fullest extant. Our little cabbit friend, Ryo-ohki, is wandering around the forest in back of Tenchi's quaint house. She was previously at home with the others, but she left because they all had something else to do. Tenchi is practicing with his grandfather, Ayeka is tending to her little garden, Mihoshi and Kiyone are out on patrol, Washu is working in her lab, and Ryoko's watching TV, occasionally checking on Mayuka since everyone else is too busy to bother with the infant.

Ryo-ohki wanders around the small shrubs in search of something to do. Unfortunately for her, she cannot seem to find anything of at least slight interest. Giving up on her quest, she's about to go home when she hears a twig snap. Quickly, she jumps and turns around while the fur on her back stands straight up as she spits and hisses. 

"What the-ah!" A young man around the age of twenty or so falls out of the tree and lands on his back. "Ow…" Then a girl about the same age jumps down and strikes a pose. The tall, dark-haired man stumbles up and turns his even darker eyes on Ryo-ohki. He then looks at his accomplice, who is, in appearance and personality, the opposite of him. 

"What's that?" 

"How am I supposed to know?" she says with an attitude. He kneels down and reaches out to pet her. 

"Hey there, little guy." She tries to bite him, but he snatches his hand away before she can sink her teeth into him. "So you're a girl. Hm…" he pauses, thinking. "Would you by any chance be a cabbit?" She looks confused that this stranger doesn't think she's some "special" cat like everyone else does and actually knows her species. "Do you live with a guy, his dad and grandpa, and a bunch of alien women?" For a second, she is suspicious but quickly answers. 

"Miya!" 

"Could you take us to them?" his partner asks the little cat-rabbit hybrid.

"…Miya, miya!" She runs off happily. 

"This is easier than I thought," he says as they both follow Ryo-ohki.

When they get to the backyard of Tenchi's house, she hops across the fallen and turning leaves, making a rhythmic "crunching" sound as her two new "friends" follow closely behind. Once they reach the back door, they can see everyone watching TV in the living room. They are completely oblivious to the two new people and Ryo-ohki. 

"Miya!" Everyone hears the small meow and looks outside to see the cabbit and the strangers. 

"Is that Ryo-ohki?"-Mihoshi

"Yeah, but who are they?" Sasami asks. Tenchi walks over and opens the back door. Ryo-ohki runs over to Sasami, hopping into her lap. 

"We're sorry to trouble you, but it seems our spaceship has broken down, and we have nowhere to stay," says the young woman. 

"So, we were wondering if we could stay here." She smacks him. "Hey!" he cries in protest.  

"Quit being rude."

"I'm not. I was only asking a question." Sensing a fight between the two new visitors, Tenchi quickly introduces himself. 

"I'm Tenchi Masaki, and you can stay here as long as you like." They both look back at the kind and generous young man who just introduced himself. 

"Thank you. My name is Keriko Zangladis," she says.

"And I'm Ameshi Kohori."

"Who might they be?" Keriko asks as she looks in at the others, who stand in a row and stare at them. 

"Well, that's Princess Ayeka and her sister, Sasami." Ayeka says a proper hello, and Sasami flashes a peace sign.

"Wow. What are they doing here?" Ameshi asks.

"It's a long story. That's Mihoshi and Kiyone of the Galaxy Police." Ameshi looks at Kiyone like he has met her before, but he can't place where he has. Before he can think too much, Keriko interrupts his train of thought. 

"I guess you feel safe here with two Galaxy Police officers around."

"Yeah, you could say that. That's Little Washu-"

"The greatest scientific genius?" Ameshi asks as he tries to forget about the familiarity feeling he just got.  

"The one and only!" Washu beams. 

"That's my father and grandfather." Tenchi motions to his older relative. 

"Nice to meet you," Katsuhito says simply. Nobuyuki is suddenly right in front of Keriko with her hands in his. Ameshi glares, and she sweat drops.

"It's so nice to have another beautiful young lady joining our house. I hope you'll be staying a while."

"Uh…"-Keriko

"Knock it off, Dad!" Tenchi drags his father away. 

"What?" he asks innocently.

"So, what are their names?" Ameshi asks, trying to get over the last situation.

"My dad is Nobuyuki, and my grandpa is-"

"Katsuhito." Yosho interrupts Tenchi before he gives away his Jurain name. 

"Hi." Ameshi reaches out as if to shake his hand, but Katsuhito just stares at him. "Okay." He puts his hands in his pockets.

"That's Ryoko-" 

"Miya-miya!" The little cabbit interjects, making sure she isn't forgotten. 

"And Ryo-ohki. My daughter, Mayuka, is asleep right now, but you guys can meet her later, if you'd like."

"Daughter?" Ameshi asks, curiously. 

"That's also a long story."

"I'm sure it is," he says in a teasing sort of way. Tenchi noticeably gets embarrassed as Ameshi smirks at the poor guy. Keriko glares at him, so he stops. Nevertheless, Tenchi is still uncomfortable.  

"Anyway, it's nice to meet all of you. And I thank you for your hospitality," Keriko says.

"It's no problem," Tenchi assures them, having slightly recovered. 

"Yeah, thanks, man." Ameshi gives him a high five. Then they all sit down to talk while Sasami decides to cook dinner.

Later on at dinner, it's the normal routine. Ayeka and Ryoko are fighting over trivial things while the others try to eat normally. Tenchi on the other hand is having a harder time eating his meal.

"Cut it out!" yells the poor tortured teen as he stands up and pounds his hands on the table. They continue to argue anyway. Ameshi and Keriko watch with amusement. 

"Is it always like this?" she asks Sasami.

"Yeah," she replies with a sigh.

"Come on, you guys," Mihoshi pleads.

"Quit fighting."-Kiyone

"That's it!! Both of you shut up!!!" Tenchi yells louder this time, so they both stop and look at him along with everyone else in the room. 

"Quit being rude. We have guests, ya know," he says, attempting to scold them.

"But Lord Tenchi-"

"It's okay. We don't mind, " Keriko assures him.

"Yeah, I wasn't even paying attention," Ameshi adds.

"Both of you apologize right now."-Tenchi

"But she started it." They point at each other and growl, sparks flying between their eyes. 

"Well, as the saying goes, "It takes two to argue"," Keriko says. "But I really shouldn't be butting in. It isn't my place to criticize people I just met." 

"She's polite," Mihoshi whispers to Sasami. She nods her head in agreement. 

"Let's all just forget about this and get back to eating," Ameshi says as he eyes his plate with a fork in hand.

"Is that all you ever think about?"-Keriko

"Oh, c'mon. I haven't eaten in forever." She stares at him. "What?"

"…Nothing." They all finish their meal in relative peace for once. 

Later on, Tenchi shows the two guests where they will be sleeping tonight, which happens to be an undecorated guest room that was never really used for its original purpose. Even with the load of girls, there somehow manages to be extra space. It isn't the best accommodations in the world, but he's sure they won't mind.

"Is this all right?" Tenchi asks as he points to the mats he set up on the floor for them in a guest room. 

"Who are we to complain? We're lucky you're letting us even stay here at all," Keriko says.

"Yeah," Ameshi agrees.

"Say thank you, Ameshi." She nudges him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to get some sleep now, so I guess I'll see you in the morning." He stands there for a little bit, and no one says anything.

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" Ameshi asks, somewhat confused.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry." He walks away, bemused with himself. 

"Good night," they both say as Tenchi walks out. Ameshi looks around to make sure no one else is watching. 

"I thought he'd never leave," Keriko says, referring to the fact that he just stood there for a minute without saying a word. 

"This is too easy. If this is the boy who can supposedly destroy Tomosuki and the others, then there is nothing to worry about."

"No, something isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"There's more to him than meets the eye." He appears confused at the somewhat cryptic tone she's using.  

"Like what?"

"Oh, forget it. I don't feel like explaining anything to you. I'm too tired." She lies down on the mat, and he sits next to her on his. 

"I know you're right," he says out of nowhere. She looks at him. "He is the one the Goddesses chose," he states lowly. 

"Why do you say that?"

"Look at him. He's the Crown Prince of Jurai, isn't he?"

"So?"

"Doesn't it seem weird that two of the goddesses are living here with him, along with two Galaxy Police officers, the Princess Ayeka and her sister (even though Sasami and Tsunami are one and the same, they will be referred to individually), and the most wanted space pirate Ryoko?"

"Former most wanted," she corrects, as Ryoko was cleared of all debts when Ayeka and Sasami's parents visited. 

"Yeah, same thing." She smiles up at him as he yawns, one hand over his mouth in a small attempt at being polite. 

"I'm tired, too. Guess I should get some sleep." He lies down, and it's quiet between the two for a second. 

"Are you okay?" he asks her as he stares up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. She turns on her right side and looks at him. 

"Why?"

"I was just wondering." He continues staring at the ceiling but is startled when he feels her move closer to him, resting her head on his chest. He looks at this, confused. 

"Yeah." He's about to say what but is interrupted. "I'm okay." After this, he lies there, still staring. Eventually, they fall asleep, both comfortable despite being on the floor. 

Tenchi, too, is asleep, but he is having a dream. It's a nightmare, to be more exact, and it involves people and places he has never seen in this lifetime. There's death…destruction…suffering. It's everywhere. He looks around at his surroundings. He feels helpless to stop this, and he can hear the cries of those he cares so much about. But he has never seen them before. _'Why do I feel like I know these people? I've never seen them_ _before. And yet…it's like they're my family.'_ A blast comes from behind him, sending him flying into a tree. He gets up and looks at the sender of the blast. The figure smiles malevolently at him. Tenchi is frozen there, not able to move or do anything to stop this. 

"What do you want?" he calls out to the figure.

"I want you: the one that has been handpicked by the Goddesses themselves. It is you I am seeking, is it not?"

"What are you talking about?" he asks, confused. No one ever chose him for anything, so why would the man think so? 

"Come now. You know very well what I am speaking of."

"No, I don't."

"Well, then I'll kill your loved ones one by one until you admit that you are he who holds the key to our destruction." 

"No!" He charges up Tenchiken. He's apparently had it the whole time. Then he runs at the figure, ready to do whatever is necessary. The figure shakes his head pathetically.

"Poor, poor boy. You cannot defeat me. Not without the other one, anyway." Tenchi stops and looks at him.

"Other one?"

"Yes, the second youth chosen by the Goddesses. Without him, you are nothing to me."

"Oh yeah? I won't let you hurt anyone! I don't know what's going on, but I can guess that you have caused all this. I will not allow it to continue. Not as long as I can fight." He begins charging at him again. 

"All right, have it your way." He turns to the side and calls out to someone else.

"Bring them out here!" Once again, Tenchi stops. Two more figures step out of the darkness with people he does not recognize, but they apparently recognize him. They call out a name, but he cannot hear what it is. He guesses it is he they are addressing.

"Let them go right now!!!" He leaps at the main figure, and they begin to sword fight. 

It is very uneven for Tenchi is totally outclassed. Within seconds, he is tossed to the side. He staggers up on his knees and looks at him. 

"I warned you. You're no match for me. Now they will suffer because of you." He turns to them again. "Start by killing his best friend. Then…you can kill her." Tenchi watches in horror. He is powerless to stop whatever is going to happen, and he knows it. 

"I…I can't stop him…" He gives the signal to his two partners, and they get ready to begin the slaughter fest. 

Suddenly, Tenchi looks up at the friends that have been captured. They are by appearance unfamiliar to him. But the feeling he gets…it's unmistakable. One is someone he holds very close in this time…the other he feels will be in his life soon. _'But how is this…Oh no…it can't be her…' _

"Too bad you'll never get a chance at the family you were so close to having. You can kill them now."

"No!!!" He charges at them.

Tenchi wakes up in his room, screaming, "No!" at the top of his lungs. He realizes where he is. He wipes the sweat from his forehead and looks around. His eyes wander to the clock, which reads 2:46 am. _'I should go back to sleep…but how can I after that dream? No, it wasn't a_ _dream. It was a nightmare.'_ He lies back down, pondering the possible reason he might dream something like this. He soon falls back asleep.

Unfortunately, poor Tenchi can't catch a break. He wakes up again around 5:30 and decides that's all the sleep he's going to get that night (well, now it's morning…whatever). He carefully and quietly gets dressed. Then he creeps out of the house, occasionally stepping on a loose board, which is followed by a loud creek. Luckily, no one wakes up. Once he makes it outside, he looks around. The morning spring air hits him like a wave of refreshment. In the far off distance, a small bird chirps its tune. All is peaceful, a nice break from the death and destruction that haunted his slumber the previous night. 

He makes his way over to a tree and sits down against it, resting himself against the bark. He thinks about the dream again, still not knowing what to make of it. _'That dream…what was it_ _about? Could it be something from the future? Or maybe the past? But that sounds ridiculous. Maybe I should talk to Washu. She might be able to help. After all, she is more or less my psychiatrist now.'_ He closes his eyes and is halfway asleep when he is greeted by surprise.

"Morning, Tenchi."  He jumps up, startled and yelling, and he trips on accident. Then he looks up at Ameshi.

"Don't do that," he says, slightly angry. Ameshi only grins and reaches out his hand to help Tenchi up. The young prince brushes his clothes off, and Ameshi decides to be curious about him being awake.

"So, what are you doing up so early?"  

"I couldn't sleep," he says with a sigh. 

"Bad dream?"

"Yeah." 

"You want to talk about it?" He gets no response, so he figures the young man would prefer his privacy over sharing his reason for being up at an usual hour on a Saturday morning. "Guess not, huh?" Tenchi is quiet, and since the silence is making Ameshi uncomfortable, he asks another question. "You know something, Tenchi? You're a pretty lucky guy." He looks at Ameshi in confusion. "You have all these girls living in your house, and two of them are obviously totally in love with you."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But if you pick one of them, it'll hurt all of them. That's why you haven't made your choice yet."

"How'd you get all that from knowing me one day?" he questions, mildly surprised. 

"Why? Am I wrong?"

"No, it's just kind of weird."

"Oh. Heh-heh…Well, I guessed…yeah, that's it." Tenchi eyes him suspiciously, making Ameshi nervous. 

"So, anyway," he says, quickly tries to change the subject. "Which one of them **would** you choose?"

"What!?" Tenchi exclaims in surprise, turning an interesting shade of red in embarrassment. 

"Oh, come on. You have to know who you're in love with."

"Well, I…" He trails off, obviously uneasy with this question. Ameshi feels a little bad.  

"Is this making you uncomfortable? We can stop talking about it if you want." Tenchi is silent, and Ameshi understands. "Sorry. I didn't mean to invade your privacy."

"It's okay."

"No, I won't bug you like that again. But I still think you're a lucky guy. All I have is Keriko."

"So that means you two are together?" He looks like he's thinking about that for a second.

"I guess you could say that." Tenchi nods and acknowledges the answer. "But it's not in the way you mean," he adds last-minute. Tenchi looks at him with a confused expression, and Ameshi's only response is to chuckle lightly, now feeling awkward himself.  "Yeah, but I like my life exactly how it is. Except for the minor set back of being stranded here with your family for a while."

"Do you have any way of getting home?"

"No, we just have to wait until our superiors notice we're gone. They'll send someone to find us."

"Who do you work for?" he asks, slightly interested in knowing why they would be over in this part of the universe. 

"I'm not at liberty to say." He says this with the most serious face. Tenchi stares, not sure what to do or say. Almost as quickly as he got serious, Ameshi grins again. "Just kidding. We transport cargo for people and do other odd jobs."

"Oh. Sounds like…fun, I guess," Tenchi says, not really sure what else to say to that.   

"Yeah, right. Lots of fun. Along the way, though, I've picked up some really good fighting techniques."

"I've had to practice with my grandpa for as long as I can remember."

"Really? How's about you and me go a little one-on-one?"

"Now?" he asks, a little surprised the new guest is challenging him to a match. After defeating Kagato, others may be reluctant to cajole him into fighting. 

"Yeah, now."

"Well, I don't know…" he trails off, unsure. 

"Oh, c'mon, Tenchi. It'll be good practice for the both of us. And I might even let you win." Ameshi grins, hoping to antagonize him a little. He clearly won't give up until the heir to the Jurain throne gives in. 

"Okay."

"All right. All we need now are weapons." Ameshi looks around for sticks or something like that. He notices something weird in the bushes, so he picks it up.

"Hey, do you know what this is?" He holds it up to show Tenchi. It's a tan hilt with what appears to be places for some kind of jewel, and it's missing its blade. 

"What? How did that get out here?" Tenchi asks aloud in confusion. He thought he left it in his room or at least with his grandpa. 

"What are you talking about?"

"This is my grandpa's. It's kind of mine now, though, I guess." 

"So this is the infamous blade of Jurai, Tenchiken…" He studies it intently, impressed at the quality. 

"How'd you know about that?"

"Uh, well…" He thinks for a second. "In space, news travels around, you know. I've heard about your exploits with Kagato and Dr. Clay."

"Oh." Ameshi sighs in relief. _'Nice save. I have to be more careful.'_

"Well, you can use that then," Ameshi says.

"And what about you?" He smiles.

"You'll see." They both get into the proper stance for their art.

"Ready?"-Tenchi

"When you are." 

Tenchi activates Tenchiken, then runs at Ameshi. He quickly moves away by jumping over his head. Now they're back to back, waiting. They turn to face each other.

"Not bad, Tenchi. But not good enough." Ameshi drops to the floor, landing on his hands. He kicks Tenchi's legs out from under him, causing him to fall. Ameshi launches himself off the ground and into the air. Halfway through it, he does a back flip and ends it landing on his feet. Tenchi, on the other, hand falls to the floor. He gets up jus as quickly as he fell and runs at Ameshi, who readies himself for the oncoming attack. Just before he slashes at him, Tenchi jumps over his head. In a split second, Ameshi turns around and blocks it with an energy blade. They both stand up there for a second before Ameshi and Tenchi both back off. The energy blades disappear.

"You're better than I thought, Tenchi."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Now how about I show you some of my techniques?"

"What?"

"I'll teach you some of my moves."

"Oh. Well, okay, I guess."

"Great." Ameshi strikes a funky looking pose, and Tenchi sweat drops. 

"C'mon. You have to start off like this." Tenchi strikes the same pose.

"Good. Now follow what I do…" 

For the rest of the early morning hours, those two train off in the middle of the forest with the light warmth from the sun and the cool winter air providing the perfect atmosphere. They don't notice that a salvo of dark storm clouds is billowing on the horizon.   

Later on, around seven-thirty or eight, Sasami is in the kitchen making breakfast with Ryo-ohki. Ayeka walks in, yawning, followed by Kiyone and Mihoshi. It may seem early to some people out there to be up, but the gang usually rises much earlier. Today, however, is the weekend, so it of course is an exception. And there's the fact that everyone was up because of the excitement the new visitors brought with them. 

"Morning, you guys," Sasami says happily. 

"Miya, miya!"

"Good morning, Sasami!" Mihoshi says happily as she sits down at the table. Ayeka sits down at another spot, being sure to leave room for Tenchi to sit next to her. Kiyone slumps down next to Mihoshi. 

"What's wrong with her?" Ayeka says to the usually clueless blonde detective. 

"I don't know," she replies with her mouth full. 

A minute later, Tenchi and Ameshi come walking into the room, chatting and looking like they both got a good workout. 

"Good morning, Tenchi," Sasami says from the stove. She sees Ameshi and adds, "Oh, hi Ameshi."

"Why, good morning, Princess Sasami." He smells the air. "Wow, it smells delicious. Did you make all this?"

"Yeah." She sets a plate for him next to Keriko. "Is it okay if you sit there?"

"Of course it is." He says as he walks over and sits down. He looks at Keriko and smiles, but she looks away, leaving him confused. 

_'He sure is polite,'_ Tenchi thinks. _'Something doesn't seem right about him or Keriko, though. Maybe it's just me.' _

"Tenchi!!" Ryoko clamps onto Tenchi from behind, disrupting his train of thought. 

"Get off of him, Ryoko!" Ayeka yells as she stands up. 

"Not again," Sasami shakes her head. 

"Miya," Ryo-ohki agrees. By now, Ryoko is at her usual spot across from the two female detectives. 

"Sit down, Tenchi."-Ameshi.  

"Yes, Lord Tenchi. You can sit next to me." Ayeka motions to the empty seat next to her. He begins to walk over, but Ryoko pulls him down next to her instead. Ayeka glares at the former space pirate, so Ryoko sticks her tongue out at the princess. 

"Can't we have a peaceful morning for once? We do have guests, ya know, so be polite."-Tenchi

"Yes, Lord Tenchi/Sorry." Though they apologize and hang their heads, Tenchi continues on with his rant. 

"I mean is it really that hard to get along? I told you both that I don't like either of you better, so quit fighting over me. At least until our guests are gone."

"You don't have to worry about it, Tenchi. Where I come from, not everyone tries to have good manners and be polite. I'm used to it," Ameshi says.

"No, it's **_not_** okay. **_I'm_** sick of it. You two never leave me alone, and I can't take it anymore! It's my fault, though. I brought it upon myself. I had to be so curious and go check out the cave. Sometimes I wish I had just stayed away, and none of you would even be here right now. Then I'd be normal. Well, as normal as a guy who's one-fourth alien can be. I wouldn't have a bunch of alien women trying to get me to fall in love with them. I don't even know why they love me. What did I do that was so great and special?" He notices everyone looking at him. _'Oh, no. What_ _did I just do?'_

                Everyone stares at Tenchi, and he looks down at his lap, suddenly feeling guiltier than he ever has in his entire life. Quickly and quietly, he excuses himself and leaves the dining room table. No one says or does anything, mainly because no one knows what would be appropriate. Ameshi looks at the others and tells them he'll have a word with Tenchi, feeling slightly guilty for the sudden blow up. He, too, excuses himself and follows the irritated young man outdoors.   

Outside Tenchi is walking around trying to clear his head. But we all know how hard that is. Eventually he comes upon the cliff where he and Ayeka stood after the storm not too long after they first met. He stares out over the never-ending countryside, letting a sigh escape him. '_What happened in there? How could I yell like that? They weren't even doing anything that bad. How am I supposed to say sorry now? I was going to see Washu for advice on how to cope with a lot of the stuff in my life, and I thought it was working. Then these two show up, and I don't know what happened. Maybe it's because of them…no, I can't blame others for my mistakes. What if this time I really did it? What if I just pushed them all away for good, and they hate me and never forgive me? It was bad enough when I lost my temper about Mayuka and slapped Ryoko. I wasn't even sure how to start apologizing to her. And she forgave me, just like that…all of them understand how it is for me. They always have. But what if they just get sick of it and leave? I don't know how I would handle that. I don't **want** to have to handle that. If only I could just tell them all how I feel. Then they could stop fighting and maybe eventually understand my decision. And I could finally be happy, and she could finally be happy, and everything would be just fine. I wish I knew what to do…something's coming, and it's big. I can sense it. But I wonder what it could be…'_' He ponders what it could be for a second before hearing a rustling in the bushes. _'What was that?' _He looks around and then hears it again. 

"Who's there?" No one answers. "Come out." Again, he gets no response. He hears another noise, so he instinctively pulls out Tenchiken (because he so conveniently had it with him) and turns around. 

"Show yourself, or I'll-" 

"All right, all right." Ameshi walks out from behind a bush. Tenchi stares at him, and the blade in his sword disappears. 

"Sorry," he mutters. Ameshi only grins and walks over to the guy. 

"Hey, no worries. Besides, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Tenchi hangs his head, another wave of guilt washing over him. Ameshi notices this and once again feels bad. "Look, I'm sorry I was bugging you earlier. I know that probably made you more uncomfortable-"

"No," he says simply. "It wasn't anything to do with you. It's me."

"But I don't help things, and I apologize for that." Tenchi turns around and stares out over the horizon. It's quiet for a moment or two as a cool breeze flutters through the trees, rustling the leaves and slightly messing up his hair. Overhead, the clouds from earlier darken the sky with the imminent threat of rain. 

"A storm is coming," he says simply. Ameshi looks up and stares for a second, thinking how symbolic this is. 

"Yeah, it is. We should probably go back." Tenchi stares out for a bit longer before turning around. Ameshi looks at him. 

"Don't worry about them. I'm sure you guys have been through more tribulations that were worse than this. They all love you no matter what, anyway." Tenchi doesn't smile or anything, but Ameshi can tell it made him feel better, so he grins. "Now let's go." Ameshi turns to go, but Tenchi instead pulls out his sword and activates it. Ameshi looks back at him confused, hoping he hasn't figured anything out. 

"What's wrong?" he asks, nervously.

"I want a rematch to this morning." Silently breathing a sigh of relief, he forms a sword of his own. 

"Is that all? Why didn't you just ask?" Without wasting any time, they run at each other and once again begin a great match of swordplay. 

                A few hours pass at the Masaki house while the two boys are away, and no one thinks anything of looking for them. Washu explained to the frantic Ayeka and the impatient Ryoko that Tenchi needs to deal with things without them around for now. Dejectedly and angrily, they sat down on the couch to watch TV. Kiyone and Mihoshi, who are supposed to be on patrol right about now, were practically forced to stay in the house by the same short scientist. Mihoshi, as you can imagine, had no problem, but Kiyone, who always fears for her career, practically had to be strapped down before she could get her to stay. 

                   Around noontime on this gloomy Saturday, Ameshi and Tenchi come walking into the kitchen, where the young princess is once again preparing a meal for everyone. Almost immediately, she turns around to see who it is, and when Ameshi waves at her, she runs over, wanting to ask where they have been but holding back because she doesn't want to be rude. 

"Sorry we were gone so long. Tenchi here wanted a little practice, and seeing how I'm one of the best, I decided to allow him time to train with me," Ameshi says with a cocky smirk. Tenchi doesn't say anything in response to that, but he does look at Sasami. 

"Sasami, I-" She cuts him off with her innocent smile. 

"It's okay, Tenchi. But could you get the others? Lunch is almost done." He smiles down at her before he says all right and heads into the living room. Ameshi looks at Sasami and smiles also. 

"This, too, smells delicious, Princess." She blushes at the formal term and thanks him but also asks him to just call her Sasami. Again, he smiles at her.

"All right, Sasami. I feel a little guilty, though."

"About what?" she asks, confused. 

"You're doing all of the cooking when I could really help do something." 

"No, it's always like this."

"Really?" She nods and explains some of her other self-appointed duties. He looks at her slightly amazed. "You're a lot more grown-up than the adults around here. Though, seeing the way Ryoko and Ayeka act, I suppose that isn't saying much." She giggles slightly before hearing the pot begin to boil over. She quickly rushes to the stove and turns the heat down. Ameshi comes over, slightly fearing for her safety. After all, an explosion of scolding hot water is not something anyone would enjoy. 

"Here, let me help with that." He takes the pot from her and brings it to the sink to drain. 

"Thank you," she says meekly. 

"Sure, no problem." He flashes her another smile, and she blushes again. Chuckling silently to himself, he goes about dumping out the hot liquid contents of the pot while she busies herself with something else. 

                A few minutes pass before the others start to come into the kitchen. Both Ameshi and Sasami turn to see Tenchi walk in with one of the girls attached to each arm. Behind them are Mihoshi, who only cares about one thing right now, and Kiyone, who looks very unhappy. Everyone takes their respective seats, and Sasami serves lunch. She then notices that the short scientist is missing. 

"Washu said she'd be in her lab," Tenchi says as he sees her looking around. Sasami finally joins them, but Ameshi notices that Washu isn't the only person not currently in attendance.

"Hey, you guys, where's Keriko?"

"A little while ago, she went to your guys' room to lie down," says Sasami. 

"Why? What's wrong?" he asks, worriedly.                     

"She didn't really say, just that she wasn't feeling well." He looks at the floor, obviously concerned. 

"Don't worry, Ameshi," says Mihoshi in her usual perky and clueless mood.  Reluctantly, he agrees with her and sits down next to Ayeka. They all then proceed to dig in, Ameshi a little slower than the others. 

                After the unusually quiet meal, Sasami does the dishes with help. Tenchi actually was able to make Ryoko and Ayeka assist the young princess with the mess they all helped to create since the two had been slacking off lately with their other chores. The two detectives go back to the living room even though Kiyone still wants to get into space, and Tenchi heads into the closet to visit Washu and see what she's up to this time. 

                Ameshi, feeling slightly out of place and still concerned about his partner, decides to at least go check on her. Without really telling anyone where he's going, he heads upstairs towards the room Tenchi and his family so graciously offered to them. When he reaches the door, he stops outside, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious without really knowing why. After a quick dismissal, he opens the door without knocking first and is mildly surprised to see her awake and standing, staring seemingly absently out the window. After shutting the door, he walks over next to her. 

"So…nice day, huh?" he asks with slight sarcasm trying to make conversation. Outside, a clap of thunder resonates through the vast countryside. 

"Oh, yeah. Real nice," she responds with the same amount of sarcasm. Without saying any more to him, she goes over to where they slept the previous night and sits down against the wall, drawing her knees up to her chest and staring ahead at the floor. Ameshi watches this for a few seconds, then goes over himself and sits on his knees in front of her. 

"Sasami says you aren't feeling well. What's wrong?" 

"Nothing. I'm just tired." She stares straight ahead, virtually ignoring him. 

"Yeah, traveling through space for a week can really take it out of you. Gotta hate that space lag." His futile attempt at joking gets no response, worrying him further since usually his banter almost always gets some kind of reaction, even if she refuses to show it. "Is that all that's wrong? I mean, nothing else is bothering you-"

"No," she answers rather quickly, cutting him off. Deciding to give up since he knows when she acts like this there's no getting a decent answer, he stands up. 

"All right. I was just worried about you, that's all." He goes to turn around and give her the space he thinks she wants but is halted when she asks him to wait. He looks back around to see her still staring at the floor. 

"I'm sorry, Ameshi." Shocked that she said something and that it was actually an apology, he comes back and kneels in front of her.   

"It's okay. But if something is wrong, you know you can tell me."

"I already said I'm fine. I'm just tired," she assures him without looking up. 

"All right, then I guess I'll go." For the second time, he gets ready to leave. 

"Fine, leave me alone again." He stops upon hearing this, though he's pretty sure she was saying it more to herself than to him. Without a word, he goes back over and sits down next to her, putting his right arm around her shoulders. Obviously not expecting that, she remains stiff. 

"If you want me to stay, you should just say so." For a minute or two, they sit there in silence, the scene slightly reminiscent of the previous night. Finally, she relaxes against him, making him a little more at ease but also bringing back that sense of self-consciousness. After this, it isn't long before the weariness she described a few moments ago returns, and she falls asleep against the wall, leaning on him. 

                Later on, Ameshi decides he wants to take a walk around, and Sasami volunteers very cheerfully to accompany him. Besides, Ryo-ohki could use a walk after all of the carrots she "stole". They stroll around rather aimlessly for a little while before they come upon the same spot where Tenchi and Ameshi talked earlier. Sasami looks out as her cabbit friend jumps on her shoulder. Ameshi watches her, thinking about how grown up this little girl is, maybe even more so than himself. Then again, she is not only the second princess of Jurai but also a goddess. Well, part of her is Tsunami. He then wonders if maybe the goddess hidden inside the girl knows the true intentions of he and Keriko and the summoning they are here to carry out. Snapping him out of his reverie is her voice calling his name quietly. 

"Yes, Princess Sasami?" For a few seconds, she doesn't say anything, and he gets nervous like he did earlier when Tenchi was acting a bit strange in the same way.  

"How long do you think you guys will be here?" That question eases his nerves a little, though for some reason, he feels a little disconcerted at the tone in her voice. 

"I don't really know. Hopefully it won't be that much longer."

"You don't like us?" she asks as she looks up at him with sadness in her soft pink eyes. Now he's nervous for other reasons. 

"No, no, that's not it at all. I just don't like imposing on you guys. The house has enough guests as it is." She still looks sad at his response. 

"But we don't mind. At least you two are more well-behaved than Ryoko and Ayeka." He chuckles at that since, even though they've been there for barely a day, all the two aforementioned girls have done is fight and argue over everything, mostly their host. 

"Don't worry, Sasami. I like being here, too. No one's ever really been nice to us before."

"Why not?" He thinks about that for a second. There's an obvious reason as to why they're disliked by the authorities and other people of official duties, but the other reason that drove him from his home and made her follow still escapes him. 

"That's a good question, Sasami." 

"I hope you guys can stay a while. I like having you here." He smiles at her comment, feeling somewhat happy that someone actually enjoys his presence other than Keriko, and sometimes it's even hard to tell with her. 

"Yeah, I do, too. I like this planet, and if all the people are as nice as you are, Princess, then I'd say this would be a pretty good place to settle down and live someday." For now, he forgets his entire mission and enjoys her company and conversation.   

"Yeah, you and Keriko can live here, and we can all be friends." 

"Maybe," he replies, actually thinking about that idea. It does sound pretty nice to him, after all.  

"And then you two can get married," she says as she goes into a little daydream type of state. He, on the other hand, gets embarrassed at that notion.   

"Whoa, whoa, Sasami, slow down," he says, sounding rather flustered. "Things aren't like that with us." 

"Why not?" she asks, sincerely confused. 

"Because it just isn't…I don't know." Though he's obviously a bit uncomfortable with this particular line of questioning, she doesn't seem to notice, and if she does, she doesn't want to quit her inquiry. _'Guess this is what I get for bugging Tenchi earlier,'_ he thinks to himself. 

"Well, it should be," she says matter-of-factly. Ryo-ohki agrees with her, sounding a, "Miya!" Ameshi starts to disagree but hangs his head and stares at the ground instead. It's now Sasami's turn to smile at him as she figures out his feelings for the polite yet sarcastic girl who came with him. 

                Out of nowhere, though the sky has been threatening this for a while, the firmament opens up and lets the water rain down on the hapless planet and people. Unprepared for this, Sasami clutches Ryo-ohki to her chest to keep the cabbit dry. Ameshi, being the gentleman he is, removes his coat and covers her with it. She goes to protest, but he insists. They end up running back to the house as fast as they can since neither really wants to catch a cold.          

The weather outside has become increasingly dreary with a thick layer of clouds darkening the sky and threatening rain with every bellow of thunder and flash of lightning. The house is dead silent as Kiyone and Mihoshi finally managed to sneak out to patrol since Washu was in the closet with Ayeka observing her newest experiment. As described above, Ameshi went out a while ago with Sasami to take a scenic walk around the expansive foothills and give Ryo-ohki a small walk. Tenchi decided to take advantage of this, as it is a rare occurrence, and he just relaxes in the quiet solitude outside on the porch.

                Shattering the silence and forcing the only person actually still in the house to wake up, Mayuka's cries echo through the empty halls and rooms, sounding like she is not more than five feet away no matter where you are. Slightly startled by the piercing cries, Keriko sits up, noticing Ameshi is gone yet again but not really caring as the only thing that really registers in her groggy mind are the wails of the year-old infant. Her cries go uncomforted for a minute or two before she realizes everyone must be currently occupied with some other miscellaneous activity, though watching over a child should at least be mildly important. Besides the desire to shut the kid up, part of her feels a little unsettled, not because the screams are so loud but because no child should be that upset and have no one comfort them. Almost hesitating since the family is still relatively foreign and it may not even be her place, she goes down the hall to little Mayuka's room, the cries only increasing in intensity and causing her to wince. The young girl, most likely screaming for her father, sits in her crib, arms flailing in different directions. Once again hesitating, she picks the girl up. Quite quickly do her screams quiet down, and her thrashing stops. May probably just woke up, and, like most people, didn't really enjoy being alone. Amazed at herself, she looks down at the now calm infant, wondering how simply holding May calmed her down. 

                For a few moments, she watches Mayuka. The kid is so interesting that the person standing in the doorway has to come up right next to her before he is noticed. 

"Not bad. Usually she doesn't let anyone she doesn't know hold her." She looks to her right, where Tenchi stands. He smiles, and she gets a little embarrassed at his presence and the fact that he's being so nice. 

"Sorry," she mutters. 

"Don't be. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have left Mayuka, but I thought Ryoko was around." He looks at his daughter, who remains content where she is. 

"I know it isn't my business to ask because I should be thankful for your hospitality, but why are you letting us to stay here? How do you know you can trust us?" Tenchi, not taken aback by the question, answers calmly the way he would anything else. 

"There's no reason to doubt you, and after living with Ryoko and Ayeka, I doubt there's anything we can't handle."

"Yeah, they do fight a lot, and we've only been here a day." After that, neither says anything for a minute or two. Suddenly, she remembers something and decides to ask him about it. "When you told us about your daughter, you said it was a long story. What did you mean?"

"Her mother was a demon named Yuzuha who fell in love with my grandfather when they were young. The Royal Family imprisoned her because she was a demon, so she wanted revenge on someone, mostly my grandpa. Somehow she got a sample of my DNA and created Mayuka. May showed up as a teenager around my age calling me 'Daddy', but she was being controlled by Yuzuha to bring me to her dark world. I fought Mayuka and Yuzuha and destroyed them both with Ryoko and Ayeka's help. Luckily, Washu was able to bring her back in infant form, and here she is." She stares at him shock, not expecting that at all. 

"You weren't kidding." He only chuckles slightly. 

"Yeah, everyone really loves her. I'm glad she has a family like this, as dysfunctional as it is. My mom died when I was young, and for a while it was just my dad, my grandpa, and me." He watches his daughter as she yawns and closes her eyes. She pops her thumb in her mouth, a sure sign she's comfortable.     

"Ever since I can remember, it was just my dad and me. That was until I met Ameshi, of course." She watches the girl, too, not really caring that she's telling some of her past to a practical stranger. "A week ago, I learned about the condition of my father." Tenchi, assuming she means he's in ill health, offers some condolences.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he gets well soon." 

"I meant he's dead." Tenchi immediately feels bad, even though he is no way responsible, and his comment wasn't really mean or inappropriate. Saying that out loud brings all the sadness back again, but before Tenchi can notice, she pushes the feeling away along with any tears that may have accompanied it. 

"I'm sorry," he says again, not really knowing what else there is to say to that, especially to someone he barely knows. For a few seconds nothing is said, though the unnerving silence finally forces her to speak. 

"Yeah, well at least I still have Ameshi." Interrupting the chat this time isn't silence but the exact opposite as thunder sounds outside, causing both to look at the window. The light rain that had been falling for some time now increases in intensity. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude by asking those questions. It's just no one's ever really been nice to us. It's sort of weird." 

"Don't worry about it," he says with another smile. 

                Suddenly, there's a lot of commotion downstairs, and in the backyard, there's a loud crash into the lake. Ayeka and Ryoko can be heard quarrelling.

"Guess everyone's back," Tenchi says with a sigh now instead of a smile. All of a sudden, she feels very self-conscious holding the baby and transfers her back to her father's arms, which Tenchi is glad to do. They then both head downstairs to meet up with the gang.     

                As they walk down, Ryoko and Ayeka are in the middle of a mini-sized battle since the last time they went full-scale, half of the living room was nearly destroyed. Upon seeing Tenchi, they both stop the dispute in favor of glomping onto the young prince. Before they do this, though, they notice the infant girl in his arms and choose not to disrupt her. Kiyone trudges in the door, soaking wet with a very apologetic Mihoshi behind her, begging for forgiveness. Washu and Ayeka come out of the closet to see what all the commotion is about. Noticing Ameshi and Sasami are missing, Washu asks them where they are, an air of distrust in her voice. When she's assured both simply went for a walk, she takes this information in and crosses her arms, appearing to be in thought. Seeing Washu's reaction, Keriko looks at the short scientist suspiciously, wondering if the unknown goddess knows something. Before anything else happens, the door opens, and the pair in question, who are now soaked, walk in. Ayeka immediately checks on her younger sister, scolding her slightly for being out in the rain. Ameshi assures the Princess that her sister is just fine, pointing out that she's dry and wearing his coat while he sneezes lightly, his clothes dripping with water. Feeling bad for making him go out with her, though she didn't really, Sasami asks Tenchi if it would be okay to give the cold and wet Ameshi some of his clean clothes to wear so he doesn't get sick, if he hasn't already. Tenchi, being the nice guy he is, agrees without hesitation. Sasami hurries off, and the others, having no real reason to hang around in this room, disperse in miscellaneous directions. Kiyone most likely desires to change, and Mihoshi will, of course, follow her, still trying to ask for forgiveness. It now being the afternoon, the other girls will want to watch their soap opera. Even Washu joins them, giving up her current project to enjoy the afternoon drama. Tenchi stands there with the two guests, not knowing what to say to them since an uneasy silence is hanging in the air. Quickly making an excuse about visiting the shrine and his grandfather since it's raining, he excuses himself and leaves them alone. Ameshi feels the uneasiness in the air and grins to himself as he figures out why Tenchi left looking so uncomfortable. 

"What's so funny?" Snapping out if his quiet laughter, he looks at her. She's staring at him with her arms crossed. He rubs the back of his head and chuckles lightly. 

"Nothing." Suddenly, he sneezes rather violently without covering his mouth and nose. When he recovers, he looks back up, hoping he didn't sneeze on her. As if nothing at all happened, she stands there still staring at him. 

"You're such an idiot."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about me," he says amused again. 

"I am not. I'm worried about the mission, that's all."

"So you don't care at all that I might be sick?" 

"It's your own fault. You shouldn't have been out in the rain." 

"I see you're back to normal," he mutters, glad in a way but also a little annoyed. He thought he had finally been getting somewhere, past all the sarcasm and the other things she does to keep people away lately. Interrupting their little chat is Sasami bringing Ameshi a new set of garments. She hands them to him, and he thanks her politely, saying he'll go change now. Before he goes anywhere, though, Sasami asks Keriko if she'd like to join the girls in their soap opera routine. When she declines, Sasami decides to try a little harder and grabs her arm, practically dragging her down the hall to the living room while she still protests. Watching this, Ameshi can't help but laugh again before he goes upstairs to change. For the most part right now, he actually forgets his mission and enjoys the time they're spending at the Masaki residence, even though he must announce the summoning pretty soon. With that thought, his happy mood is driven away as he's actually getting to like these people and doesn't want to see anything happen to them. Now feeling guilty, he goes upstairs to change.                 

                As he does this up there, the girls all sit around in the living room and watch that show about those blobs that have a twisted and scandalous love life. When the "mild" little kissing scene plays, Ayeka shoots her hand out in front of Sasami's eyes. While the other girls get all into the show, Keriko sits there, feeling awkward. Sasami notices and comes over to sit next to her. When she looks at the young girl, all Sasami does is smile and go back to watching to the show. She's allowed to now since it's moved beyond the intimate parts. Suddenly interrupting the show at a critical moment when the male blob is about to make a choice, the news comes on (doesn't that always seem to happen to them?), and a Galaxy Police message flashes across as some guy talks (it's happened before…just pretend Washu hooked it up like that) about the crucial apprehension of two criminals in this part of the universe. A collective groan resounds in the room, and Washu stands up, apparently to go back to her lab again. 

"Where are you going, Washu?" Sasami asks curiously. Without turning around, the scientist answers her. 

"I need to check something, Sasami." This response leaves her confused, but no one else seems to really care except Keriko, who eyes the genius suspiciously once again. Quickly losing her serious mood, Washu spins around and grabs the dubious girl by the arm, dragging her away down the hall. All that can be heard in this is something like, "Wait a minute-" and "Come on!" as they fade away, her door slamming shut. The girls, who became interested during this part, stare bemusedly down the hall. 

"What's with Washu?" asks Ryoko, puzzled at her mother's actions. 

"Yes, that was quite strange," Ayeka agrees, also wondering what she could be up to. 

"She does weird things all the time. Why are you still shocked?"-Kiyone. They think for a second then agree that the scientific genius is indeed a strange one who usually needs no explanation. The soap opera comes back on, and they return to watching it, wanting to see who the blob will get with after all of the other drama. Sasami still looks after them down in that direction for a few more seconds, then goes back over next to her sister. 

                In her lab, Washu commands Keriko to sit down, to which she remains resistant. Washu threatens with violence, so the girl grudgingly does as she says. With a quick, almost inaudible thank you, a keyboard pops up out of nowhere, and she types a few commands into the system. Before Keriko can ask what the egocentric short woman is doing, Washu responds. 

"Before you get an attitude with me, all I'm doing are a few simple tests." She continues typing.

"Why?"

"Simple. I'll use my genius to figure out why you aren't feeling well." At that reason, she scowls, though Washu can't see. Even so, the scientist has another reason for this and would persist anyways, despite the protest. Suddenly, Washu turns around with a fairly large sized needle, alarming her patient a bit. "Come here for a sec. I just need a small sample." As Washu gets closer, suddenly wearing her nurse uniform, she quickly jumps up and attempts to leave the lab. Before she can make it, however, some creation of Washu grabs her and keeps her in place, like a tangle of mechanical arms. Tenchi is very familiar with this procedure. For a few seconds, she struggles futilely before realizing it's pointless. She half-stares, half-glares at Washu. 

"This isn't very hospitable."

"I'm not your host. That would be Tenchi, and I experiment on him, too, so don't worry." Washu pulls out a cotton swab from nowhere and goes to roll up her sleeve to get the sample, but she still fights back and tries to move away. "You're only making this harder on yourself, ya know." They stare at each other for a little bit before Keriko finally gives up and lets Washu do her thing. When she's got her sample, she then reverts to her normal outfit and presses some buttons on her holo-keyboard. 

"Now what are you doing to me?" she asks, obviously very annoyed. 

"Nothing really. Just a few simple body scans." She continues to type away, and before Keriko realizes it, she's free, and Washu is shoving her out the door. "Thanks for being cooperative. It's greatly appreciated. I'll let ya know when I'm done. Buh-bye now." Washu shoves her back out into the hallway.

"Hey, wait-" The door slams, and with it, Washu secludes herself once again to work with her new data. 

                At the same moment, Ameshi comes walking down the stairs, only to find Keriko staring at Washu's door. He walks over and stares at it also with his hands behind his back, standing all official-like. 

"Anything particularly interesting about the door, or was the soap opera that boring?" he asks. She turns and lightly glares at him.

He turns his head to look at her, amusement in his eyes. "What? Can't I make a joke?"

"For something to be a joke, someone has to think it's funny." At that, the amusement in his eyes disappears, and nothing takes its place. She notices this but pretends not to. Suddenly, though, he grins at her previous comment like nothing is wrong. 

"Yep, you're definitely back to normal." He looks at her arm, noticing that her sleeve is still rolled up, and there's apparently a cotton ball taped down. "What happened to you?" he asks curiously. Realizing what he's asking about, she pulls her sleeve down and gives a pretty vague and brief answer.

"Washu happened. Apparently you're not the only one who's overreacting to me being tired." 

"Oh…okay, I guess." It's quiet for a few awkward seconds before he asks something of a different nature. "Hey, can we go talk somewhere?"

"Why?" He doesn't answer her and just waits for her to figure out what he means. When she does, she agrees, and without anyone else taking much notice, the two visitors head outside where the rain still falls, even though it's April. Then again, "April showers bring May flowers", or something. 

                The porch where Tenchi sat earlier is now vacant and is protected from the rain, so it's an ideal spot. No one else would think to go outside since it's raining, and with the water pounding down on the earth, it'll drown out the sound from any listeners in the house. She sits down, and before he does the same he puts his jacket, which he picked up before they came out here, around her shoulders. Luckily, it's made of some space-age fabric that doesn't get wet easily, so it's dry from earlier. Then he sits next to her, and a few minutes go by before he says what he wanted to come out and talk about. 

"I think it's time we told Tenchi and the others why we're really here. We were ordered to bring him back with us, and I'm guessing Tomosuki meant soon." She neither agrees or disagrees with him and instead looks down. Ameshi gets a little confused by this reaction. Usually the mission is her number one priority, but now she seems almost reluctant to go through with what they came here to do. "What's wrong? You're not having second thoughts now, are you? We've come way too far and done way too much."

"I don't know." This answer surprises him further. Even he knows what they must do, and he's the more emotional one, as surprising as that may be. "Are you sure you're up to it now that you're sick?" Quickly, he realizes that she's not really having second thoughts and was only teasing him for his comments a few minutes ago. At least, that's what he tells himself.

"I'm fine. I was just kidding, anyway." He starts to get up to go inside and talk to Tenchi, forgetting that he isn't there now, but she grabs his wrist and holds him there. 

"Not yet." He sits back down and looks out at the rain as she watches it also. With everything being so hectic lately, the rain provides a pretty serene feeling, and so both of them would rather enjoy this while it lasts before they ruin the lives of the people inside.              

                Meanwhile, in her lab, Washu stares intently at her computer screen. As she plays around with what she collected earlier she also begins to space out on other things. It's been so long since she's had to worry about them, but now it appears as if they are back and with a vengeance. But who in their right mind would release them, though? And risk the destruction of the whole universe? There is one person she has in mind, and that's part of the reason she wanted to run a few little tests on their guest. Snapping her out of her trance is a beep from her computer. She looks at the screen, and a few things have popped up. One makes her an arch an eyebrow in interest, but since it's not the reason she ran the tests and it really isn't her business anyway, she ignores it in favor of finding out what she wanted to in the first place. Normally Washu would be nosy, but the situation is too critical for any of that now. Instead, she tries matching up the data she collected with the Galaxy Police Database. Sure enough, not more than a few seconds later, a match comes up. On her screen appears a pretty decent "mug shot" (it's actually just a normal picture) of their female guest, and her name is beneath it: Zangladis, Keriko. Normally, Washu would be very much pleased with her success, but under the circumstances, she only becomes more worried for reasons only she knows. Suddenly, it occurs to her why they're both here and what they're planning. Abandoning her work, the scientist gets up and exits her lab to check on the others.

                In the living room, everything is still fine, however. The girls are watching TV still, and Tenchi is missing from the house. Instead, she creeps outside to the porch where the two she's looking for sit watching the rain. There's no conversation taking place, so she wonders what they could possibly be planning. Her original idea now seems wrong. So she watches them suspiciously for a second before reverting back to the old Washu who's a pain and who is always asking questions. She walks out and leans against the beam supporting the roof. 

"So what's taking you so long to ask Tenchi? Your boss is gonna get impatient, and trust me, that is not a good thing." Both turn around to look at the short woman leaning on the pole. 

"Washu, what are you talking about?" asks Ameshi, pretending to be confused. 

"You can drop the act now, ya know. Did you think the greatest scientific genius wouldn't figure it out?" For a few seconds he stares at her before sighing and standing up. Keriko gets to her feet also. 

"I was hoping you wouldn't. But I guess that's just another underestimation I've made, isn't it?" 

"What do you want with Tenchi?" she asks, getting straight to the point. 

"He is the One," Keriko answers her. "Tomosuki only wishes to speak with him."

"Just as I thought…" she says as she looks at the ground. "You're on a first name basis with them, huh?" They both stare at her, wondering what she's talking about. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into, especially you." She looks back up, her attention on Keriko. This confuses both even further. 

"What are you talking about, Washu?" asks Ameshi. When he gets no response, it aggravates him a bit. Suddenly he feels very out of character as an immense anger fills him, and he has no idea why. Lifting Washu up by the collar of her shirt, he glares hatefully at her. "Look, Washu, if you get in our way-"

"Ameshi, put her down," says Keriko, somewhat shocked at his odd behavior. 

"No. She'll mess everything up if she hasn't already." 

                Unknown to them, Tenchi has chosen now to return from the shrine, and as he walks up, he swears he sees Ameshi holding Washu up threateningly. As he gets closer, he can clearly see the situation, and it's exactly what he thought it was. 

"Hey, guys what's going on?" Quickly, Ameshi drops her back onto the ground, and they all look at Tenchi. He comes up to them.

"Is something wrong?" For a second, no one says a word. 

"No, Tenchi. We just had a slight misunderstanding," Washu replies as she glances at Ameshi. He ignores her and is suddenly feeling like his normal self again with all the malice gone. 

"Yeah, sorry, Miss Washu. I can be a little rude sometimes, and I apologize for losing my temper." Tenchi stares at them all confused, but before he can ask any more questions, Ameshi says something else and heads back into the house. As Tenchi, Washu, and even Keriko watch Ameshi confused, she follows behind him, glancing quickly back at the prince and scientist. 

"Washu, is something going on?" Tenchi asks as he turns to her now. 

"Not yet," she says quietly. He gets even more confused, and she notices. "Tenchi, I think we should go somewhere and talk for a little bit. I want to know why you blew up this morning, if that's all right." He agrees with her since he has been telling her his problems lately as if she was his psychiatrist. Together under his umbrella, they head to Funaho to chat. 

                Once there, Tenchi sits down against the tree after closing his umbrella and setting it on the ground.  

"So what's buggin' ya?" She plops down next to him as he simply sighs. 

"I don't know. I feel like something is going to happen soon, and I guess it has me on edge even more than usual." At that, she looks interested since he seems to have acquired a sense of foreboding. That sense will be very useful. rather

"Hm…well, let's see if we can figure this out. Explain what you've been feeling," she asks of him, suddenly holding a pen and notebook.  

"Well…" he starts. "For a couple of days now, I felt like something bad was going to happen."

"But something bad just happened." 

"What?" he asks, befuddled. Quickly realizing her mistake, she attempts to get him to forget about it.  

"Nevermind! I forgot that everyone here on Earth got their minds erased except a select few…they'll be around soon. Just forget it."

"Okay…" he says, confused (like the reader must be). To change the subject, she continues with her line of questions about his uneasy feeling.  

"Anyway, why have you felt like this?" He thinks about that for a moment, not really knowing himself. 

"I don't know." She scribbles something down and asks another question. 

"How long have you had these feelings?"

"Since Ameshi and Keriko showed up," he answers almost immediately. 

"Really?" Again, she gets interested. 

"Yeah. But I can't blame them. It just seems coincidental, that's all."

"Well, to be honest with you, I've been monitoring them." He looks up her, now interested like she has been.

"You have?"

"Yep. I discovered something very interesting about them."

"What is it?"

"There's no time to explain it. Right now they're probably making their move." His face shows more confusion. "We need to go back to the house now, Tenchi." Suddenly, she's lost the mock psychiatrist uniform and is very serious. Washu is hardly ever serious, so he knows she is not joking around.  

"Okay, but-"

"C'mon!" She pulls out a remote and presses a button, causing a door in the tree to open. It resembles the dimensional tunnel from that series we all hate so much, _Tenchi In Tokyo_.  

"Through there?" he points. 

"Yeah. I just installed it the other day. Convenient, huh?" she asks proudly. He doesn't respond, and she grabs his arm, dragging him inside behind her.  

In the living room of the Masaki residence, as Washu predicted, the two new houseguests have "made their move", and the others are none too pleased. Ameshi, being as bright as he is, decided it may be better to confront the rest of the family before they ask Tenchi directly. After all, if they agree, then Tenchi may be convinced to go with them. Of course, his logic also usually fails him. Before Keriko, the one who typically has the better ideas on how to handle things, knows what he's doing, he's asking in front everyone for their help in convincing Tenchi to go back to some strange planet and talk to some guy they don't know about his "destiny". The group does not respond well to this as one might imagine.  

"Look, we're not here to hurt you," Ameshi says as he tries to fend off Ryo-ohki and escape Ryoko's hold. He looks to his partner for help, and though she's annoyed at him for his approach at this, she won't let him take the heat alone. 

"We're only here to bring Tenchi back to Tomosuki."

"Why?" demands Ryoko, wanting to blast them both right there for the threat to her beloved.  

"Because he wishes to speak with him," Ameshi explains. 

"Speak to him about what?" Ayeka questions, not as demanding as Ryoko, though she too wants to know. 

"We don't know."-Keriko

"You have to know," she says, actually letting her annoyed side show. Once she realizes this, she blushes and suppresses it.  

"Why would you come here to bring him back to this guy and not know why?" Kiyone asks, now skeptical about their story.  

"Yeah, and why do you think he would want to go with you?" Mihoshi follows up her partner's question with one of her own.   

"Because the fate of the universe depends upon him."-Ameshi. They all look at him in major shock, not ever thinking Tenchi was _that_ important. 

"That's right," Washu says as she steps out of her lab, followed by Tenchi. 

"You know what they're talking about?" Ryoko says as she looks at her mother emerging from the closet. 

"Yes."

"Then tell us, Miss Washu."-Ayeka

"Before I tell you anything, you have to let them go." She motions to Ryoko, who is holding an energy blade to Ameshi's throat and Ayeka, who has Keriko trapped by Azaka and Kamidake. Grudgingly, the pirate and princess release their "prisoners".

"Thank you, Washu," Ameshi says as he fixes the collar of his shirt. 

"No problem."

"Now explain."-Ryoko. All turn their attention to Washu to listen attentively. 

"Okay, it all began a long time ago. There were three Goddesses guarding this universe. They were named Tokimi, Tsunami, and the last one was myself." The Tenchi crew gasps as Ameshi and Keriko look at each other.

"Yes. You see, we were all given our own plane to protect."

"This kind of plane?" Mihoshi pulls a model airplane from her hair (she has some weird stuff in there). 

"Not that kind of plane, Mihoshi."-Kiyone

"Oh." She puts it away. 

"…Anyway, even though there was the three of us to protect the universe, there was also a trio of evil created to wreak havoc upon what we tried so hard to guard." Most of the gang is too captivated to say anything, and so Washu continues uninterrupted.  

"The universe trembled with fear as they destroyed everything they could get their hands on. The Triad had a few people who acted as…how should I put this?" she taps her finger on her chin in thought. 

"Helpers?" suggests Mihoshi. 

"Well, I guess that makes sense."

"Yay! I got it right!" Washu sweatdrops and continues. 

"…Anyway, Mihoshi, they were sent to destroy the crown prince of Jurai before he reached the Triad. You see, he had been chosen to be the savior of the universe. Along the way, they encountered another. He, too, had a great gift. They then fled, knowing he was the other of the two chosen to destroy them. The two young men, who had known each other from previous diplomatic missions, met up again after being separated from each other for some time. They went to fight the Triad, but in the final battle, they were killed. The helpers died along with them."

"How sad." Sasami suddenly has a tissue and is wiping her eyes.  

"Miya…"-Ryo-ohki agrees. Washu goes on. 

"The only way to defeat the Triad now was for one of us to give up our powers. It was the only way."

"So who did it?"-Tenchi

"I did." They gasp at her revelation. "I gave up my powers to seal them in darkness, that way they could never escape."

"That's good," Sasami says. 

"But then they managed to do the impossible."

"What?" Mihoshi asks cluelessly.

"Escape!" They all yell.

"Oh."

"Somehow, they were freed, but no one knows by whom. Because of this, the two were reborn."

"Well, who are they?" Kiyone asks.

"The crown prince of Jurai was you, Tenchi."

"What!?" They all exclaim. Ameshi and Keriko look at each other and smile.

"Who's the other guy?"-Ryoko

"Well, it took me a while to figure it out. I came up with five possible candidates."

"Tell us already!" Ayeka demands impatiently. They all stare at her, and she gets embarrassed.

"I found out which one it was."

"Who?"-all

"I would tell you, but if I did, then those two would go after him next or at least report back to their superiors."

"Why?" Tenchi asks.

"Because they're helping the Triad now, just like the ones from the past." 

"What!?" they all exclaim in disbelief.

"Is it true, Ameshi?" Sasami asks sadly. At her expression, he feels a very real pang of guilt and regret. Quickly, though, he puts up his icy exterior that he only shows when he means business. 

"You know, Washu, you're too smart for your own good." 

"So it is true," says Kiyone. 

"Yes. We were sent here by Tomosuki to either kill Tenchi or bring him back with us," Keriko says.

"Now Washu, please tell us who he is."

"I don't think so."

"We didn't want it to have to come to this, but-"

"You guys can help out now," Washu calls to no one. Two guys conveniently jump in from what appears to be nowhere. You can't tell what they look like yet, however you can clearly see the Galaxy Police uniforms they're donning.  

"All right, back away slowly," says the first one as he points a blaster at Ameshi.

"And don't try anything."

"Damn you," Ameshi says lowly. 

"They followed us."

"Obviously." He gets annoyed, and she glares back at him.  

"Shut up."

"Come with us peacefully, or we'll have to use force," adds the one pointing the gun. 

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Ameshi says mockingly. 

"Have it your way." Before he can shoot, Ameshi grabs Sasami and holds an energy blade to her throat.

"Now…**_you_** don't try anything, or I'll use force."

"Let her go."

"Tenchi!" Sasami calls out to him for help. Ameshi, actually hating what he's doing, remains firm. 

"I said let her go."

"After Washu tells us what we want to know."

"Don't do it, Washu!"-Sasami

"Tell them!"-Ayeka

"Don't, Washu." Tenchi walks forward slightly. 

"But Tenchi-" Ayeka protests. He pulls out the master key and activates it.

"Let Sasami go," Tenchi warns calmly.

"No." 

"Do it now."

"What? You think you can stop me?" He glares at him. "Oh, is little Tenchi getting impatient?"

"Have it your way." In a few quick moves, he manages to get Sasami away and now has Ameshi by the throat in a turn of the tables. "Now, do exactly what I say." Ameshi doesn't move in his hold. 

"…Fine." It seems he's going to cooperate, but then he tries to get away. Unfortunately for him, Tenchi has become much better with the sword his grandfather gave him. He can tell Ameshi's going to try and summon an energy blade to kill him. _'He's using the same_ _moves he taught me. What's he doing?'_ he thinks, then he gets an idea.

"Wait! Don't do this in here!" Everything stops, and they all look at him. 

"Why not?" he asks annoyed and confused. 

"…You'll mess up the decorating job we spent so much time on." 

"Fine. We'll go outside." And so the group takes this battle outside.

Once out there, everyone grabs some refreshments to go along with the show. Tenchi and Ameshi face each other. The Tenchi crew sits under umbrellas since it looks like it'll rain some more while Keriko stands on the opposite side by herself. The two detectives stand near the gang.   

"Alright, Tenchi. Here we are."

"Yeah. We'll do this out here."

"Let's get the rules straight first. None of them can help you."

"And she can't help you," Tenchi says, referring to Keriko. She's about to protest to that, but he looks back at her with a slight grin to reassure her he'll be fine. Though not liking it, she leaves-it-be at that.  

"Fine with me," he says as he looks back at his opponent. 

"What about us?" the first officer asks his partner. He gets no response. "Oh well." He shrugs it off. 

"Okay, when I say when, you two can start," Washu says, acting as the referee and also suddenly wearing the appropriate uniform.

"Be careful, Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka shouts from the sidelines.

"Go, Tenchi!" The others all cheer. The two boys strike poses, then run at each other with their weapons and engage in a fight. It appears that Tenchi is winning at first because he blocks each and every move with ease. With Tenchiken, he blocks Ameshi's sword, then kicks him, sending the young man flying back into a tree. He remains against it unmoving. Keriko, knowing that this isn't his full potential, waits to see exactly what his battle strategy is. 

"Yay! Tenchi won!" Sasami yells a bit prematurely. They all cheer for Tenchi again, but their celebration is cut short when Ameshi jumps up off the ground and catches Tenchi off guard by throwing those little electrical wires that shock you. Tenchi is caught off guard and is trapped in their hold. 

"No, I win." The wires are too tight, causing Tenchi to drop the sword as he cries out in pain. The blade deactivates. Tenchi's side gasps in shock, not actually expecting their prince and hero to lose. "So this guy is supposed to beat the Triad?" Ameshi says as he laughs.

On the sidelines, Ryoko is about to go out there and help Tenchi, but Washu grabs her arm to prevent her from doing so. The pirate glares at her mother angrily. 

"Let me go!"

"Remember the rules? No one can interfere."

"But Lord Tenchi needs help!" Ayeka, too, moves forward. 

"Don't worry. He can handle it by himself." The two look back at the fight, not happy with not being allowed to help, but they won't break the rules, either. 

Tenchi squirms to escape, but it all proves to be pretty futile. 

_'No…I can't lose. This can't happen. I'll lose everything…But if I'm supposed to defeat them, then I can, right?'_   He closes his eyes and begins to concentrate his energy on escaping. He yells really loud as if he's powering up, and the wires break apart, shocking the crowd.

"What?" Ameshi exclaims in surprise. Tenchi picks up his sword, activates it, and runs over to Ameshi. He summons his sword, and they fight some more.

The battle finally comes to a screeching halt when Tenchi jams his sword through Ameshi's stomach. Everyone looks on in shock that this is how it has ended. 

"Ameshi!" Keriko yells as Ameshi cries out in pain. He falls to the floor as Tenchi pulls out the blade from his stomach. Tenchi stares at it, then at Ameshi, and back at the blade. Suddenly, it disperses. 

"He is…the one…I'm sure of it…" He collapses onto the ground. 

"Is he dead?" Mihoshi asks. They all watch and wait to see if he will move. When he doesn't, they all realize that it really is over, and Tenchi has won.

"No…" Keriko says as she looks down, not wanting to believe it.

"But I didn't mean to…" Tenchi stares at the hilt. 

On the side, the man with a scar above his left eye and spiky dark green hair looks at his partner.

"Now what?" he asks about the measures they should take to clean up the battle. 

"Now I kill you," he replies calmly and coolly as if it were nothing.

"What?" He asks in confusion and horror. His partner grins before pulling out his cleverly concealed weapon. 

"But why?"

"Because, Akira…I never liked you. You were so always intent on killing them."

"What do you mean by 'always'?"

"You know what I am speaking of."

"Why would you care?"

"Ameshi was my brother." Akira's face is a mix of confusion and anger as the man points his gun at him. He then pulls the trigger, startling everyone. Akira covers his new wound and drops to his knees.

"Look out! He'll kill you!" He manages to get this warning out before he is shot again. He crumples to the floor, and Tenchi summons his sword, ready to protect his family. Akitahome is about to attack Tenchi when Keriko stops him. 

"Don't," she says simply, looking down.

"And why not?"

"Because you could end up dead, too."

"That would defeat the entire purpose then, wouldn't it?" He looks at the others. "I guess we'll be going now. But rest assured, this isn't the last time you'll see either of us." He throws a little ball on the floor. It explodes, and smoke fills the area, allowing for the perfect opportunity to get away. Before Akitahome teleports away with Keriko, she looks at Ameshi, who's lying on the ground in the same unnatural and disturbing position. Not wanting her to try and go over to him, Aki quickly grabs her, and they leave. 

When the smoke clears, they're both gone. Tenchi starts to run after them but stops when Washu tells him not to.

"Why?"

"Because they can kill you."

"Then why didn't they before they left?"

"Come with me, and I'll explain everything you want to know." They all grumble and complain but follow anyway. They come to the unconscious guy on the floor.

"Oh, yeah. We forgot about him."-Mihoshi

"Who is he?" Ayeka asks. 

"I don't know."-Sasami

"I do," Washu says. "He's one of the best detectives in the Galaxy Police."

"And he's hurt," Tenchi says, remembering he was shot twice. 

"Yes. Pick him up, and carry him into my lab. I'll explain everything." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Inside, Tenchi sets Akira, the injured detective, on the table, and they all gather around Washu. She sits at her computer and types in some things.

"Right now it'd be better if you guys waited outside," Washu tells them.

"But Washu-" Ayeka protests.

"I need to help him. Just wait a little bit."

"Okay, c'mon everyone. Let's leave her alone."-Tenchi. They grumble and complain.

"Thank you, Tenchi. I'll come get you when I'm all done, okay?" They all agree, then shuffle out the door into the living room. She looks at Akira, then at her computer screen. 

"Hm…doesn't look like anything I can't fix. But maybe it wasn't such a good idea requesting for him to come here. Oh, well. It doesn't matter now." She types in some more things.

Outside, the others sit and wait impatiently.

"I wonder who he is," Tenchi thinks out loud. The others are all thinking the same thing, of course. 

"Didn't Washu say he was a Galaxy Police detective?" Sasami asks, remembering the scientist mention something about him being one of the best detectives.

"Yeah, I wonder if I've met him before," Mihoshi wonders out loud. 

"He looked familiar to me," Ayeka says.

"Washu did say he was one of the best," Ryoko adds.

"Yeah, but that doesn't narrow it down a whole lot," says Tenchi.

"What do you think, Kiyone?" Ayeka asks, looking at Kiyone. They all turn to see her, and she's sitting there, apparently contemplating something important, her eyes with a far-away gaze in them. _'Why did Washu send for _him_?'_

"What's wrong, Kiyone?" Sasami asks, worried. She looks up.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" Tenchi asks with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answers distractedly. 

"Are you sure?"-Ayeka

"…Yeah."

"She's acting like she knows the guy or something."-Ryoko. Kiyone doesn't say anything and instead looks further at the floor. 

"**_Do_** you know him?"-Mihoshi

"Sort of…" she trails off, reluctant to say anything else. 

"Really?" Sasami asks, now very much interested. 

"From where?"-Ayeka

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But-" the sisters protest. 

"Hello!" Washu pops in from out of nowhere. 

"Aaaah!!" They jump up in terror and latch onto each other, scared out of their minds. 

"It's just me." They open their eyes and look at the short, pink-haired scientist standing before them. She's giving them a strange look, so you know how pathetic they are.  

"Oh, Washu," Tenchi says, relieved. They all let each other go.

"You can come to my lab now."

"About time, Washu," Ryoko says with her attitude. 

"Don't talk back to your mother, Little Ryoko."

"Don't call me that!" she yells, both annoyed and embarrassed. 

"Then call me Mom." Ryoko glares at her mother but finally concedes. 

"Fine, **_Mom_**."

"Good girl. Now come on!" She drags Ryoko behind her, and the others follow.

In the lab, they all sit on chairs Washu so conveniently set up. She stands in front of them.

"Okay, here's the thing. That guy who was injured is going to be okay."

"That's good," Sasami says relieved. 

"Yes, I knew he would probably get hurt if I had him come here. Luckily, I was prepared."

"You mean you told him to come here?"-Mihoshi 

"Yes, Mihoshi."

"Why?"-Tenchi

"Because he is one of the people who can help us."

"Help us what?"-Ryoko

"Well, while you three are away, he can help the rest of us get ready."

"Which three?"-Ayeka

"Get ready for what?"-Sasami. Though they confound her with questions, Washu was expecting it, so she's prepared the answers. 

"The Triad will try and kill you, Tenchi. Then they'll kill the other 'one'."

"Who **_is_** the other one, anyway?"-Ryoko

"His name is Son Gohan. He attends the high school where you will be transferring. This way you can get to know him better."

"Who's going?"-Sasami

"Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka, of course." At that, they all stand up in shock and protest. 

"What!?"-Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka

"Don't argue. I've already asked Lord Katsuhito and your father Nobuyuki if it was okay. They asked why, and I told them. They agreed, of course." 

"But Washu, I have to take care of the shrine and everything."

"Yes, and I must be here in case my family decides to visit."-Ayeka

"I'll be here in case they come, Ayeka."-Sasami

"And your grandfather already said he would get someone to take care of the shrine while you're gone."-Washu. Not being able to think of any other reasons to protest, they remain silent. Suddenly, the injured detective coughs, and they all look at him.

"I think he's waking up."-Sasami

"He should still be unconscious…" Washu goes to her computer and types in a few things.

"Yeah, well I'm not," Akira says, now awake. 

"Hey, he said something." Mihoshi observes the obvious. 

"Mihoshi, can you do me a favor?"-Kiyone

"Sure, Kiyone. What is it?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

"I see you're still the same, Kiyone." He kind of smiles at her as she looks away. 

"You do know him!"-Mihoshi. They all give her that emotionless look, so she starts to pout.

"So, she's your new partner, huh? I didn't think she was as stupid as everyone said…but I guess I was wrong." She bursts into tears.

"Akira, you need to get some sleep. We have a new mission for you."-Washu

"Oh, how great."

"Yes, I'm sending those three-" She points at Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka. "-to get to know someone who will be very important soon."   
"And I get to stay here?" That prospect doesn't seem too appealing to him. He's always been the adventurous type who lives to be outside and moving around. 

"Until you're fully healed, yes. After that I'll decide what to do with you."

"So, Washu, when do we leave?" Tenchi questions. 

"First thing in the morning, so I suggest you go pack and then get a good night's rest."

Shortly after that, they take Washu's advice and go to pack. After that, it's dinnertime and off to bed. The next adventure will be the greatest they have ever embarked upon. We all know Tenchi is powerful. We've all witnessed him in action before. But the question still remains…does he have what it takes to beat the Triad? And who exactly is this Gohan fellow he has to meet? What connection do they have besides saviors of the universe? These thoughts echo in Tenchi's mind as he stares at his daughter's crib. Her father is now suddenly more important than anyone ever thought him to be while she still remains young and innocent. Before long, the Jurain prince drifts off to sleep as somber as he's ever been. 

To be continued… 

  
As with most stories, read and review.


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